Do you or your kids enjoy playing sports? Did you know that sports-related eye injuries can cause vision loss?
In the United States, about 100,000 people experience some sort of sports-related eye injury every year. About 13,500 eye injuries cause permanent vision loss. If you wear the proper eye protection, most eye injuries are preventable.
To make people aware of the importance of protecting their eyes while playing sports, April is Sports Eye Safety Month. Being educated on the importance of protective eyewear while playing sports is key to keeping your eyes safe.
Keep reading to learn more about why Sports Eye Safety Month is so important!
You can get injured playing many sports. Some of these sports include cycling, soccer, hockey, baseball, basketball, softball, and using air/paint guns.
The sports that cause the most sports eye-related injuries are baseball and softball. Softball is the leading cause for girls, while baseball is the leading cause for boys. At any age, you need to wear eye protection while playing sports.
No, glasses are not the proper type of eye protection to wear while playing sports. If you wear glasses while playing sports, they can break, fall, or move around.
Wearing glasses isn’t a good idea if you play a contact sport. If you need a visual aid, wear contact lenses and a form of protective eyewear covering your eyes.
If you don’t like contact lenses, then an alternative is wearing goggles over your glasses. This way your glasses and eyes are both protected.
If you play water sports, contacts aren’t a good option. Water can make your contacts fall out or move in your eye.
If you play any sports that are in a pool like water polo, contacts should be avoided. They aren’t a good option because they shouldn’t be worn in chlorinated pools.
Chlorine can damage your contact lenses. If you decide to wear contacts, make sure to use goggles to protect both your contacts and your eyes!
No matter what sport you play, you need to wear protective eyewear. When you play a contact sport, protective eyewear with shatterproof polycarbonate lenses is best.
Contact sports include tennis, racquetball, soccer, and basketball, among others. If you get hit in the face and have goggles or eyewear made of these lenses, they won’t shatter.
For hockey, lacrosse, or football players, wearing a helmet is necessary. You should use a helmet with a wire shield or polycarbonate face mask. This way you can see and keep your eyes safe.
Keeping your protective eyewear intact is important. You need to replace your eyewear if it becomes damaged or looks yellow.
Broken or damaged eyewear won’t keep your eyes as safe. Wearing damaged eyewear or not wearing protective eyewear can cause injuries. Remember, if you or a loved one play a sport, you need to wear protective eyewear.
Do you need help figuring out the right protective eyewear to wear? Schedule an appointment at Advanced Eye Care in New Lenox, IL now!
